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Manufacturer: Opel Division of General Motors, Germany
Production Year: 1943
Engine: Opel, 3.6-liter, 68-hp, six-cylinder, liquid-cooled, gasoline
Transmission: 5F1R
Brakes: Hydraulic
Length: 20-feet, 4-1/2-inches
Width: 7-feet, 5-1/2-inches
Height: 9-feet, 6-inches (to top of cargo area bonnet)
Weight: Approximately 3.4-tons
Armor: None
Armament: NONE on this example - Could be fitted with a 7.92-mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun
Maximum speed: Approximately 50-mph
Maximum Payload: 3-tons
Markings: German 12th Infantry Division, Bakery Company
Production of the Opel Blitz (Lightning) 3,6-36S began in 1938 at the Opel Brandenburg / Havel plant under the direction of Heinz Nordhoff whom, after WW II, became head of Volkswagen. The 4x2 Opel Blitz 3-ton is one of the first standardized military truck models that was developed from guidelines established by the Schell-Program. In 1938, General Schell, Director of Motorization for the Wehrmacht (German military), proposed to cut back procurement of vehicles of all types to just a few standard chassis which, in turn, were suitable for both military and commercial service. He reduced the number of truck models from 113 to 30. The Schell-Program introduced universal weight capacity classes of 1,1-1/2, 3, 4-1/2 and 6-1/2-tons, most with a basic 4x2 (S-Type) and a 4x4 (A-Type) version. The Opel Blitz 3-ton 4x2 (S-Type) was the Wehrmacht’s most popular, and successful 4x2 truck design. Field reports from front-line troops in North Africa and Russia using the Opel 3-ton 4x2 were very positive. Early models featured civilian-type cabs; late models had simplified ersatz cabs constructed of timber frames and pressed cardboard. About 70,000 Opel 3-ton 4x2s, in several versions, were built.